Welcome to LawHelp Interactive

Inactivity means you have not clicked or typed somewhere within the interview for 2 hours.
Please SIGN UP TO SAVE your answers periodically, if possible. You will need to register with the site to do this.

How It Works

How does LawHelp Interactive work?

LawHelp Interactive (or LHI and formerly known as NPADO) is a web site that lets people create legal documents. To create a document you will be given an online interview where you will answer questions and at the end of the interview you will be able to request your finished document. Once the document comes up, you can download or print it from your computer. Most interviews also print out instructions on what to do next. LawHelp Interactive is managed by Pro Bono Net. It runs on HotDocs Server software, and interviews are created using HotDocs, A2J and Neota Logic formats. Regular users do not need any special software to create legal papers hosted on LawHelp Interactive.

LawHelp Interactive also provides training and support to legal aid and courts who want to start or have projects in in LHI. If you are with a legal nonprofit, pro bono group, library or a Court, please visit: http://www.probono.net/dasupport/gettingstarted/.

Who can use LawHelp Interactive?

This site is for low-income people who can't pay for legal assistance and their non-profit advocates. It can also be used by people without lawyers who are accessing this Web Site through an approved court web sites and court personnel assisting other permitted users. (Note: the California, New York and Minnesota state court web sites have been approved by the Provider.)

Commercial use is strictly forbidden.

How do I get started?

To get started, click the Get Started button. You can also create an account for LawHelp Interactive if you think you will need to come back to finish the interview and you want to save your answers in LHI. See the “How do I use this site” section of our FAQ page for more information about what to expect. (Template providers and organizational administrators must register and require pre-approval.) Attorneys and court personnel are encouraged to register.

What happens after I create a legal document using LawHelp Interactive?

LawHelp Interactive forms can be printed, emailed, saved and changed. If you need to exit and come back to edit your work later on, please save your answers. To edit, start at the website where you found the form, sign in when you are on www.lawhelpinteractive.org and then edit your form.

Does LHI e-file the forms for me if I create an account?

In some states, domestic violence victims or their advocates can e- file their documents with the court directly. In general, by saving your answers in LHI, you are not e-filing in court or with any other agency.

Please read all of the instructions that are provided on the site before you start and any instructions when you print out your document for information on how to file your forms and other important next steps with your forms.

Where are the forms?

LawHelpInteractive.org will direct you to your state’s legal aid website to access forms. Click on Find Forms for a list of states that currently have forms. You can also find a state-by-state list of legal aid websites on LawHelp.org. Follow the directions on your state website to access available forms. Please note, available LHI forms vary depending on the type of legal issue and your state. If you don’t find the particular form you’re looking for, you can visit www.lawhelp.org for other help and resources in that area of law.

Where can I learn more?

For more information about how LawHelp Interactive works, what you can expect as a user, or technical support questions, visit our FAQ page.

Feature Tour

LHI is a website that allows low-income people without access to a lawyer to prepare their own legal forms online for free. Whether you have a legal issue and cannot afford an attorney, are an advocate helping to prepare low-income individuals to represent themselves, or want to develop forms to help your community, LHI can help you bridge the justice gap by preparing legal self-represented litigants engage the justice system.

Do you have a legal issue, but cannot afford to pay an attorney? With LHI you can…

Find free forms created by agencies in your state

You can click on Find Forms for a list of states with forms now. Different states have forms for different legal issues, including court forms you can file, letters to creditors or landlords and many more. Check out Find Forms to see what is available where you live.

Prepare legal forms online for free.

With our interactive interface, you will be asked a series of questions. When you are done, you will have a typed form ready for filing. These forms are completely free, and it doesn’t cost anything to set up an account.

Create an account to save your forms online

If you create an account, you can save your forms, come back later if you need more time to complete them, or change them later if you need to.

Complete your forms without creating an account

If you are worried about being anonymous, you can complete your forms and print them out without having to sign in or register with us. If there is an issue, you will have to start over, but you can complete the forms as many times as you need.

Get instructions with your forms, so you can file your papers correctly

Completing forms is just the first step in going to court. Many of the forms also have instruction sheets to help you file your papers, and make sure the process is as smooth as possible.

Are you an advocate with a not-for-profit agency? With LHI you can…

Find a variety of forms in you state

Each state has different forms for different legal issues. Find what forms are available in your state at Find Forms.

Help your clients easily and quickly complete their forms in a variety of contexts.

LHI support different interfaces, which can allow advocates to use forms in different contexts. With Neota Logic or A2J, clients can fill out forms at their own pace in a group or on their own with an advocate close by to ask questions. With HotDocs advocates can fill out forms with clients, or lead client groups in clinics, to create finalized documents quickly.

Create individual accounts for clients.

Often litigation, whether it be divorce, foreclosure or a consumer matter is a multi-step process. You can create individual accounts for clients or clinic participants to help keep all their forms in one place, and keep them on track. If this doesn’t work in your office, you don’t have to!

Printed instructions for using these forms

Many forms come with instructions for clients on how to use the forms once they are complete. When the forms are printed, instruction sheets are often automatically generated, providing you with an assist to talk them through their next steps.

Help plan your clinics with our Events feature.

Our events feature makes planning and completing pro bono projects easy, allowing Pro Bono Coordinators to access to interviews and assign cases to Pro Bono Lawyers, who can then assist in completing and filing of forms, litigation, or other proffered services.

Are you part of a not-for-profit or court interested in making forms for you state? With LHI you can…

Become a trained LHI developer, ready to make your own forms in your state.

Through our online and in person training series, we will walk you through everything you need to know to start making online, plain language, culturally competent forms for your community.

Rely on support as you develop your forms

With a dedicated help desk, staff who are ready to trouble shoot and support you at each step, and a vibrant developer community, whether it is your first or you hundredth form, you are never developing alone.

Display your forms through a variety of interfaces

Often different forms are dedicated for different uses, and LHI allows you to display your forms in a variety of interfaces. A2J and Neota Logic provide a very structured interface, perfect for individuals who are filling out these forms on their own, while HotDocs allows advocates to streamline the process, and is often used in clinics or pro bono contexts where advocates are available to help.

Display your forms on your client facing statewide website

Through our LHI widget, individuals can complete your forms on client facing statewide websites; they stay on a page they know and trust, but can complete your document easily.

Connect with other developers.

We have an active and robust community with people developing a variety of forms across the country. Through list-serves, community meetings, ongoing trainings and other learning opportunities, our developer community is always interested in the newest thing!

About Us

LawHelp Interactive creates legal forms and documents. People are asked a series of questions, and then their answers are used to tailor their documents. The site is used by legal aid advocates, pro bono lawyers, and people representing themselves. In some states forms created by LHI can be e-filed to a court or fax and filed.

In 2013 LawHelp Interactive created 456,272 documents and served 817,839 guided interviews. These forms represent many legal problems: child support and custody, domestic violence, debt collection, foreclosures, evictions, and divorce.

Local legal aid, pro bono, and partner courts design the forms on LawHelp Interactive. Legal experts make the templates that are used to create the forms and documents with HotDocs and A2J Author.

LawHelp Interactive increases opportunities for people to get justice on their own. It also improves efficiency for access-to-justice programs.

Pro Bono Net

Founded in 1998, Pro Bono Net is a national, nonprofit organization that works in close partnership with nonprofit legal organizations across the country to increase access to justice for poor and moderate-income people and other vulnerable populations. It seeks to do so through (i) supporting the innovative and effective use of technology by the nonprofit legal sector, (ii) increasing participation by volunteers, and (iii) facilitating collaborations among nonprofit legal organizations and advocates working on similar issues or in the same region.

For more information, email us
or contact us at
Pro Bono Net
151 West 30th Street, 6th floor
New York, NY 10001.

FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

This Website allows low-income people without access to a lawyer to prepare their own legal forms online for free. It’s also used by pro bono and legal aid attorneys seeking to work more efficiently.

When using this Website, you will be asked questions and your answers are used to fill out a form.

Who is this service for?

This site is for low-income people; the staff of nonprofit and charitable organizations; lawyers and their staff providing not-for-profit or reduced fee legal assistance to low-income people or nonprofit and charitable organizations. It can also be used by pe This site is for low-income people who can't pay for legal assistance and their non-profit advocates. It can also be used by people without lawyers who are accessing this Web Site through an approved court web sites and court personnel assisting other permitted users. (Note: the California, New York and Minnesota state court web sites have been approved by the Provider.)

Commercial use is strictly forbidden.

Does it cost anything to use this site?

No.

Where are the forms?

LawHelpInteractive.org will direct you to your state’s legal aid website to access forms. Click on Find Forms for a list of states that currently have forms. You can also find a state-by-state list of legal aid websites on LawHelp.org. Follow the directions on your state website to access available forms. Please note, available LHI forms vary depending on the type of legal issue and your state. If you don’t find the particular form you’re looking for, you can visit www.lawhelp.org for other help and resources in that area of law.

Download or email your document to print and read the instructions on your next steps. Please note, in most cases the forms are not automatically filed with the court when using LHI.

Do you give legal advice?

No. This Web site provides legal information, not advice. No lawyer/client relationship is formed. No person is reviewing how you answer questions or if the documents are right for you. If you have questions or want to know if a document is right for you, talk to a lawyer.

The forms are developed by local legal aid organizations, pro bono programs, and courts.

Is the system secure?

Security measures are being taken with the server. Your communications with the system and your answer files stored on the system are encrypted. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. Please keep in mind that this service is on the public Web – absolute security is not guaranteed. Additionally, the site may occasionally be taken down for maintenance, preventing access to forms. Please keep paper or electronic copies of your information. Do not use LHI to save your forms.

What else do I need to know?

Forms can change and be removed without notice.

Read the Terms of Use . Be sure that you understand them. They are subject to change without notice.

Can you please summarize the legal terms in plain English?

This is an overview of the terms governing your use of this web site. We remind you that you use this web site under the conditions specified in our Terms of Use; and our Privacy Policy. This guide is not a substitute for those documents, and you should read and understand both before using this Web site.

This Web Site is intended for use by low-income individuals and their not-for-profit advocates to obtain legal information.

Do not use this Web site to help someone else with their legal problems. In many places this is illegal if you're not a lawyer.

Do not use this Web site to break the law. We take measures to keep your information confidential, but we can be compelled in some circumstances to provide your information to law enforcement.

This Web Site is not a substitute for a lawyer.

This website cannot provide you with legal advice. Your choice of forms and answers are not being reviewed, and may be incorrect for your situation. Information provided on this site may not always be accurate or complete. If you have a legal problem, you should try to find a lawyer who will represent you. There is no substitute for a lawyer who can talk to you in person regarding your situation.

You use this Web Site at your own risk.

The law is constantly changing. We can't guarantee that the information on this Website is correct or up-to-date. As we update the Website, it's possible that the forms you're using may be taken away. Please plan ahead and keep paper and electronic copies of your information handy.

We try to keep your information confidential, but we can't guarantee that it will stay secret. For example, a court can make us share your information in certain circumstances. You can help keep your information confidential by keeping your password to yourself and not sharing it with other people.

Computers occasionally stop working. It's possible that this Website will stop working, so please plan ahead and keep paper and electronic copies of your information in case something happens. We don't presently have the resources to provide you with technical support as you use the Website.

Under no circumstances are we responsible or liable for what you do with the information from this web site.

How do I use this site?

Do I need to register?

You do not need to register to use the system as a self-helper or an advocate. You will still be able to fill out forms and print them. Registering allows you to save your answers and use them again later. (Template providers and organizational administrators must register and require pre-approval.)

No. If you create an account with LHI, we only save your answers, not your documents. Saving your answers will allow you to re-generate your documents.

Can I change the information in my documents?

If the documents are word processor documents (not PDF), you can edit them in any word processor such as Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect. You can also use WordPad that is installed with most versions of Windows. PDF documents cannot be edited. If you are a registered user, you can also re-run the template interview, change your answers, and re-generate your documents.

I see some blank lines in my document. What do they mean?

It probably means that you have not answered all questions in the interview. If you are an anonymous user, and still in the same session that you created the document in, click ‘Go Back to Answers’ to verify whether you have answered all the questions. If you are a registered user, re-run the template, loading your saved answers and check to make sure you answered all questions.

Can I delete my answer files?

Yes. You should delete your files once they are no longer needed. Login to the system and click on "Manage Answer Files". Then click on the Delete link next to the answer file you would like to delete.

How long are my answer files kept?

The length of time answer files are kept depends on the type of account you have. Answer files for anonymous users are not saved beyond when the user logs out or after 2 hours of inactivity also known as session expiration. Answer files for registered self-helpers are saved for six months since last use. Finally, answer files for registered advocates and court personnel are saved for 12 months since last use. If you are a registered user, you will receive a message sent to the email account you provided at registration before your answer files are deleted.

Who else can see my answers?

No other users can see your answers unless they have your user ID and password or you choose to share your answers with another person or email them the document from LHI. In rare circumstances, a court of law may compel us to share your information with a law enforcement agency or others. See Privacy Policy. If you are using a NY or Minnesota Court DV form and you e-file through LHI the Courts and its staff will see your answers.

Can I send you legal questions?

No. We can't respond to questions about your particular case or the appropriateness of any specific form to your circumstances.

I am not sure if my forms are appropriate. Is there someone I can call?

You should contact a lawyer in your state. You can consult www.lawhelp.org and select your state. You will be able to search for free legal resources and help in your area.

What can I do on my end to protect my information?

Choose a password that others, including potential adversaries such as spouses or former spouses, are unlikely to guess. Use both letters and numbers. Especially when accessing our site from a computer in a public location like a library or court, be sure to log out when done, close all browser windows, don't save files on the local hard drive, and don't leave printed documents behind. Be aware that evidence of your computer use can remain behind in history and cache files.

What if I have a problem with this site?

If you experience a problem with this site, please email lhi@probono.net and provide us with as many details as possible.

We’ve received reports of Internet Explorer (IE) Version 8 users getting a “problem getting data” error when trying to start an interview. If you see this error, please try to use another browser or update your version of Internet Explorer. Otherwise, please try the following setting changes and this should resolve the problem:

Go to Tools

select Internet options

select Advanced

Under Security, check the check box "Do not save encrypted pages to disk"; or

If the box is already checked, please un-check it.

What kind of computer and software do I need?

It is best to use our forms with a computer or laptop with Windows on it. We currently do not support tablet or smartphone use. Your laptop or computer should be running the following browsers and browser versions:

Chrome version 27 and later

Firefox version 21 and later

IE 8 and later

Safari version 7 and later (Please note, to use Safari for LHI interviews you need to change a setting in your preferences by taking the following steps: Open Safari> Choose “Preferences”, then select “Advanced”; next deselect Stop plug-ins to save power)

Your browser must accept cookies and not block pop ups.

In order to edit and print assembled word processor documents, you need to have Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect, or some other program that can handle RTF or docx files. If you do not have Microsoft Word, you can download Microsoft Viewer for free to view, print, and copy Word documents created on LHI.

In order to view and print assembled PDF forms, you need to have a current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available as a free download from Adobe.

What local settings might I need or want to change?

You should make sure you’re not blocking any pop ups and your cookies are enabled. You also want to make sure you can open your rtf and docx files in Microsoft Word and your PDF forms in Adobe Reader. Different browsers and operating systems have different steps to identify how downloaded files will open. Please also note that using Notepad for RTF files leads to mis-formatted and unreadable documents.

Click on the “Forgot your password?” link on the login page. Enter your username and your password will be sent to the email address you registered with. If you don’t know your username, email lhi@probono.net from the email address you used to create your account to request your username.

Can I report an error message?

Yes. Use the contact form. Be very specific and say what the error and error message were. Please provide as many of the following details as you can:

the name and URL of the interview you were using

the steps you took before you got the error message

a screenshot of the error message, if possible

the browser and browser version you were using

Where can I find legal help?

Try Lawhelp.org. It contains listings of pro bono and legal services programs listed by geographic area along with relevant self-help information. You can also try www.findlegalhelp.org.

Review Document(s)

Please review all documents before proceeding with e-filing of your documents

Contact

Use this form to report technical problems.

Do not ask for legal help. LawHelp Interactive does not give legal advice. If you need legal help, please read Find Forms

Thank you for your feedback.

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Your Email Address *

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Request Type *

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Attach a File Link

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Terms of Use

Pro Bono Net, Inc. (PBN, for short) is a New York non-profit corporation that provides this website as a free service to:

Low-income people,

Lawyers and their staff giving not-for-profit or reduced-fee legal help to low-income people,

Lawyers acting on a not-for-profit basis on behalf of a non-profit or charitable organization, and

Court employees at courts authorized by PBN to help eligible users use this site.

When you use this website you agree to all of the terms listed below. Please read them carefully. Also check this page periodically because PBN updates these terms from time to time. All updates become effective when posted.

Using this site means you agree to review and follow these:

Terms of Use,

All updates, and

Other rules posted at this site.

Together, these terms, updates, and other rules form the complete agreement between you and PBN. The most recent version always supersedes any previous version, whether oral or written.

Additional Terms for Advocates and Court Employees

You are not PBN’s client. This website gives you information, not legal advice. We do not warrant or guarantee that the information on this website is accurate or up-to-date. When you use this site, you do so at your own risk.

Because this website is not a lawyer, it cannot:

Give you advice, opinions, or recommendations about your rights or your case

Apply the law to the facts of your case

Make conclusions about your case

Tell you if your answers are legally sufficient

Tell you about possible defenses, choices, or outcomes

Choose or review your court forms, or

Represent or protect your or your Advocate’s interests. (An Advocate is a lawyer who works for a non-profit organization and helps you with your case.)

For legal advice about your case, you should see a lawyer. Documents created using this website may require consultation with a lawyer prior to signing or filing.

By using this website, you agree that:

You will not detrimentally rely on any information received from this website,

You do not have the right to make a claim that you were harmed because you used this website

Use of this website does not create any attorney-client relationship or any other fiduciary relationship between you and the Provider, and

To use this website in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction where you are located.

2. Who May Use This Site.

To use any part of this website, you must be:

13 or older, and

Legally able to agree to the terms of using this website or use the website with a guardian or other representative who is able to legally agree to the terms of using this website.

You may use this site if you:

Use it only for your own legal problem, or if you are an authorized Advocate, only for your clients’ legal problem*

Do not let anyone else use your account,

Do not use it for any commercial purpose, and

Credit PBN as the source of any information from this site, either by copyright or attribution.

Consent to having any data you provide to PBN, including personal data, transferred to and processed in the United States

Warning! PBN can cancel your account at any time if you do not follow these Terms of Use.

* Additional Terms of Use for Advocates appear below.

3. Not for Commercial Use.

This site was created for:

Low-income people,

Lawyers and their staff who serve low-income people at non-profits or reduced fee legal aid agencies,

Lawyers acting on a not-for-profit basis on behalf of a non-profit or charitable organization,

People involved in cases at courts that PBN has authorized, and

Authorized court employees who are helping eligible users.

You may not use this site for any commercial purpose.

Unless PBN gives you its written permission, you may not reproduce, copy, change, publish, display, distribute any part of this website, except as allowed by the terms of this agreement.

Warning! Do not use this site to practice law if you are not a lawyer.
If you do, you may face criminal and civil charges for practicing law without a license.

4. User information.

To use certain parts of this site, you must provide your registration information, including a username and password. The information you provide must be correct and complete, and you must update it if any of that information changes.

To use this site, you must agree to:

Use your chosen username and password when you access the site,

Not let anyone else use your username or password to access this site,

Be liable for anyone who accesses the site with your user information, and

Protect your user information so that others cannot use it.

Protect Your Password: Do not use your name, birthday, a single word, or other information that is easy to guess. Instead, use a string of letters and numbers or a phrase.

If you suspect someone is using your login information, contact us right away at: lhi@probono.net.

5. No Illegal Activity.

PBN may investigate complaints and reported violations. If we suspect illegal or inappropriate activity, we may report it to law enforcement officials, regulators, or other parties. We may disclose user information of anyone or any entity involved in that activity, including: user profiles, e-mail addresses, usage history, posted materials, IP addresses, and traffic information.

You must not use this site in any way that New York law, U.S. law, or the laws of your state define as illegal.

Do not use this website to:

Upload content that is illegal, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, invasive of someone’s privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically objectionable, or wrongful in some other way

Harm a child in any way

Misrepresent your affiliation with a person or agency or impersonate a person or agency, including PBN or its staff

Upload content that you do not have a right to transmit, including information from fiduciary relationships, such as inside information, proprietary and confidential information learned or disclosed as part of employment relationships or under nondisclosure agreements

Upload content that infringes, misappropriates, or in any way violates a party’s patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights

Stalk or harass someone

Use any function of this website to collect or store personal data about other users unless PBN and the user(s) have authorized you to do so

6. PBN’s Ownership Rights.

This website is protected by copyrights, trademarks, trade dress, service marks, patents and other proprietary rights and laws. PBN alone owns its copyrights to this site’s layout, graphics, navigation design, source code, the collective and compiled copyrights in its databases, and all other content created by PBN employees, contractors, consultants, and contributors to this site.

Using this site gives you NO rights or license of any kind to this website, its software, or its content. You may not use PBN’s trademarks, service marks, or trade dress in any way, including in:

Services or products not owned by PBN,

A way that causes confusion or implies that PBN sponsors, endorses, or is connected to your own activities, products, or services,

Hidden or embedded text in web pages, or

A way that is critical of PBN or this website.

7. Follow PBN's Rules.

To use this site you must follow these Terms unless you get PBN’s express written permission to do otherwise.

Do not:

Upload unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, junk mail, spam, chain letters, pyramid schemes, or other form of solicitation, except in areas designated for that purpose

Upload material that contains software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software, hardware, or telecommunications equipment

Interfere with this website or the servers and networks connected to this site

Disobey any requirement, procedure, policy or regulation of a network connected to this site

You must not use any part of this site, its content, or its underlying programs to:

Decompile, extract or disassemble our source code

Copy, change, reproduce, republish, distribute, display, or transmit for commercial, non-profit or public purposes any part of this site, its content or its software, except as allowed by other terms of this agreement

Rent, lease, loan, sell, sublicense, or create derivative works from this site, except as allowed by the terms of this agreement

Use software or other method to monitor or copy our site or software

Determine the site architecture or extract information about usage, users, or their identities

Use, export, or re-export any part of this website or its content in violation of U.S. export control laws

You must not use any material owned by PBN or licensed to PBN by a third party for any use, especially not for any commercial use. This includes:

PBN takes reasonable steps to keep your information confidential. Warning! Other people involved in your case may be able to use the legal system to access the information you provide at this site.

10. Closing Your Account.

You may:

Delete any answer files saved to this site, and

Close your account at this site.

You may also have your registration information deleted from our database by contacting: lhi@probono.net. Send your request from the email address you used to register.

PBN may terminate or suspend your license to this website at any time for any reason, without notice to you.

PBN may also close this website at any time for any reason, without notice to you.

11. Links.

Links to other websites

This website may list links to other websites. We do this for your convenience only. When you click on a link to other websites, you leave this website. Those links are not a recommendation or approval of those sites or their owners and those websites are not under PBN’s control. We are not responsible for those websites, the information, services or products they may offer, or any loss or damage you may have at those sites.

Links to this website

Unless you have our written permission to do so, you may not link to this website from another website. If we give you permission to link to this site, we may cancel that permission at any time.

12. No Technical Support.

We do not provide support to users of this site and we may not respond to user comments, but we appreciate you telling us about any errors or problems with the site.

Exception: If you are contributing materials to this site, we will provide reasonable technical support to help you submit those materials.

13. Disclaimer.

When you use this website, you do so at your own risk. PBN does not provide support to users of this site. This website is provided to you “as is, and as available.”

PBN does not guarantee or warrant this site or its content to be always available, correct, up-to-date, reliable, free of viruses or other defects, or that any problems or inaccuracies will be corrected.

PBN is not responsible for any loss, injury, claim, liability, or damage related to:

The hardware or software you use to access this site,

Your use of this site or its content for any purpose, including related to legal advice,

Any errors or omissions in the content at this site or other sites you are directed to from this site, or

The unavailability of this site or its content.

PBN makes no guarantee that any material on this site is

Suitable for any special purpose, or

Free of any claim of ownership by a third party.

PROVIDER DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, TITLE, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

Legal Claims and Procedures

14. Limited Liability.

BY YOUR USE OF THIS WEBSITE, YOU AGREE TO WAIVE ANY AND ALL CLAIMS RELATING TO THE USE OF THE WEBSITE OR ITS CONTENT, WHETHER SUCH CLAIMS ARE AGAINST PBN OR ANY OTHER PERSON WHO HAS SUPPLIED CONTENT TO THE WEBSITE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES AND UNDER NO LEGAL THEORY SHALL PBN OR ANY OTHER PARTY INVOLVED IN CREATING, PRODUCING, OR DELIVERING THE WEBSITE BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON FOR ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ATTORNEYS' FEES) IN ANY WAY DUE TO, RESULTING FROM, OR ARISING IN CONNECTION FROM, YOUR ACCESS TO, USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS WEBSITE. TO THE EXTENT THE FOREGOING LIMITATION OF LIABILITY IS PROHIBITED OR FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE, THE SOLE OBLIGATION OF PBN OR ANY OTHER PERSON WHO HAS SUPPLIED CONTENT TO THE WEBSITE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES SHALL BE LIMITED TO $100.00.

15. Indemnification.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless PBN and any third party providing content to this website from any and all claims, losses, expenses, damages and costs, including but not limited to reasonable attorneys' fees, arising as a result of your use of this website.

16. Arbitration.

Any claims made related to this website must be settled in New York by binding arbitration. The arbitration will be conducted in accordance with the then applicable Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. Each side will pay for its own costs, including attorney fees and costs.

If you go to arbitration, your claim will be decided by one arbitrator who is knowledgeable about computer and Internet law.

The arbitrator’s award will be binding and conclusive, and a judgment on any award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. The arbitrator may not award punitive damages.

17. Jurisdiction.

These Terms of Use shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of New York, without giving any effect to any principles of conflicts of law. You agree that any action at law or in equity arising out of or relating to these terms shall be filed only in the state or federal courts located in New York and you hereby consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts for the purpose of litigating any action.18. Enforcing PBN's Rights.

18. Enforcing of PBN's Rights.

When you use this website, you agree that any use that violates these Terms of Use may cause irreparable injury to PBN. If you do not follow these terms, you agree that PBN will:

Have the right to non-monetary relief, including a court order requiring you to stop or to perform any relief a court may impose, and

Not have to post any bond or other security.

19. Third Party Rights.

PBN and any contributor or other third party submitting materials to this site have the right to enforce this agreement’s provisions for Disclaimer (13), Liability (14), Arbitration (16), and Indemnification (15) against you on its own behalf.

20. Severability.

If any part of these Terms of Use is found invalid or unenforceable, PBN and you agree that:

All other parts of this agreement are valid,

The intended meaning of the invalidated part will be replaced with language that closely matches PBN’s original intent, and

This agreement remains valid.

Even if a term of this agreement goes unenforced, PBN does not waive any part of this agreement, unless it does so in writing.

21. Notification of Alleged Copyright Infringement.

PBN reserves the rights to remove any content that allegedly infringes a third party's copyright or otherwise violates the rights of any third party, or for any reason whatsoever, and to prohibit further use of this website by the individuals responsible for said infringement or violation. PBN also reserves the rights to pursue any party that submits an erroneous declaration. If you believe that any content appears on this website in violation of your copyright or other proprietary rights, you should send a notice to PBN by first-class mail, return receipt requested, at the following address: LawHelp Interactive Project Coordinator, c/o Pro Bono Net, Inc., 151 West 30th Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10001. Such notice should include the following:

Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed.

Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity. Include information reasonably sufficient to permit PBN to locate the material.

Information reasonably sufficient to permit PBN to contact you, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an e-mail address.

The signature of the complaining party.

Include the following statement: "I have a good faith belief that use of the copyrighted materials described above as allegedly infringing is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law."

Include the following statement: "I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and that I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed."

22. Integration.

The version of these Terms of Use currently available at this website, incorporating by reference any supplemental rules or terms posted on this website, constitutes the complete statement of the agreement between you and PBN. That version supersedes and merges all prior proposals, understandings, and all other agreements, oral and written, between the parties relating to the subject matter of the agreement.

Modification to Terms of Use.

Updated versions of the Terms of Use will appear on this website and are effective immediately. Your continued use of this website after any update constitutes your agreement to be bound by the updated Terms of Use. You are responsible for regularly reviewing the Terms of Use.

Contributed Materials

23. Ownership and Use of Contributed Materials.

When you contribute material to this website you license it to PBN for any non-profit purpose. That license gives PBN a lasting, worldwide, and royalty-free right to use your material and sublicense them to other contributors. PBN has the right to use any idea, knowledge, or technique in your material in any way. You cannot terminate that right. You also agree to give up the right to bring a claim against PBN for misuse or other violation of ownership rights in your materials. If you do not own the materials you contribute, you agree that the original owner gives us this same right. You keep any other rights you have in your material.

PBN may use and change your materials, in any way, at any time, in any medium, and in any part of the world. PBN also has the right to delete, edit, or refuse to post any material you submit without your permission for any reason.

Other users of this website may use your materials, link to your materials, and repost your materials on this website according to these Terms. They may develop new materials or templates based on your original materials. Other users do not have the right to copy, share, or change your original materials at this website without your permission.

You may contribute information to existing material on our site that you use to create new material that you may download, store, and print for your personal use. That new material is your work product, which you use at your own risk, and PBN is not liable for its use.

When you submit material to PBN, we will:

Identify you as the source of any material you submit,

Delete any of your materials at your request, and

Act as your agent if we make your materials available to other users of this.

If requested, PBN may sometimes be able to give you usage information about your contributed materials.

24. Rules for Contributing Materials.

Contributors must:

Take reasonable steps to be sure your material will not harm the operation of our website. Your material must:

Be carefully read and tested,

Not contain a computer virus,

Not violate another’s intellectual property rights, and

Not be defamatory or violate any law or regulation that you or PBN must follow.

Provide quality control of your material. You must:

Monitor your material on an ongoing basis to make sure it is accurate, current, and free of technical problems,

Change or remove any material if you find any of these problems, and

Notify PBN about those problems.

Provide support for your submission. You must:

Give instructions for proper use of the material,

Let users know if they should talk to a lawyer when using your materials,

Provide links to other information when useful, and

Answer and respond to any complaints, or assign someone else to do so.

Products integrated with this website may be updated or changed according to the schedule posted at our Third Party Upgrade Policy page.

25. No Soliciting.

Unless PBN has given you written permission to do so, your contributed materials must NOT:

Advertise, promote, or ask for money, goods, or services, or

Invite other users of this website to join any commercial online service or other organization.

Additional Terms for Advocates and Court Employees

26. Not-for-Profit Use by Advocates and Court Staff.

If not used for profit, this website may be used by Advocates and Court Staff.

Advocates means

Lawyers and their staff giving not-for-profit or reduced-fee legal assistance to low-income people, or

Legal representatives acting on a not-for-profit basis on behalf of non-profit or charitable organizations

Court staff means court employees at courts that PBN has authorized to use this site who:

Help eligible users use this website, and

Do not provide legal help or act as lawyers for those users.

27. Advocate Responsibilities.

When you use this website, you agree that you alone are responsible for:

Protecting your client’s and your interests,

Using your own professional judgment to apply any information from this site to the facts and circumstances of your case,

Verifying any information you get from this site, and

Personally assuring that your legal advice is based on accurate and complete information and research from any available sources.

28. Ethics Notice for Advocates.

When you use this website, you must follow all applicable ethical rules and standards, including for:

Conflicts of interest,

Advertising,

Client solicitation,

Unauthorized practice of law,

Privileged and confidential information, and

Misrepresentations of fact.

PBN is not responsible for your compliance with these rules.

29. Confidentiality and Attorney-Client Privilege.

When you use this website, you do not have an attorney-client relationship or other fiduciary relationship with PBN.

PBN cannot guarantee that your client’s or your information will be protected from your adversaries.

Caution! Before using email or this website to communicate confidential case or client information, consult your local ethics rules for communicating privileged information via email and Internet.

Personal information in messages you send us through our Email Us tool

Information Collected Automatically

Our site collects information that helps us serve you and lets you use certain features of the program. To do this, we may use cookies, web server logs, web beacons, and JavaScript.

Cookies: Our site may use web, HTML5, and Flash cookies. These allow us to identify your browser and remember your information, settings, and your visits at the site. We may also use other types of local storage, such as browser- or plugin-based local storage. Most browsers give you the option of enabling, restricting, and disabling cookies. You can control Flash cookies by visiting Adobe’s FlashPlayer Settings or Settings Manager.

Note: If you disable cookies, you will not be able to use all the features of our website or our web services. That’s because the system needs to remember you to complete your forms and remember the information you provided before.

Record the page that referred you to our site, your device’s IP address, and the pages you visit at our site.

To control which servers collect information, we may place tags (web beacons) on our pages. We also may send software instructions to your device that collect details of your interactions with our site, such as the kind of general information listed above.

Analytics

We may use analytic services from other companies, such Google Analytics, to learn how visitors use our site. These services will know your IP address, and they share information with us about how you use our site.

Manage and improve the services we provide and how we communicate with you

Create and manage your account

Communicate with you about your account and information at our site

Process your application(s) and respond to your requests and questions

E-file documents and information, if you request it

Customize your experience with the site

Manage and update our client databases

Perform data analytics

Protect against fraud, and manage risk exposure

Develop new services

Meet and enforce all legal requirements, industry standards, and our own policies and terms, such as our Terms of Use

If we use your information in other ways, we will notify you when that happens.

Who We May Share Your Information With

Service Providers

We may share your personal information with outside service providers, such as software developers we hire to debug or improve our program. These providers may only use or disclose your personal information to provide services to us or comply with legal requirements.

Researchers / Data Analysts

We may also share personal information for research, academic studies, data analysis, and reports. Information for these purposes is always aggregated. That means none of the information is linked to a particular person. For example, the data we share may be used to say how many users (not the names of) live in New York. We may also share with others how many people (not who) visited our site.

We do not share information from:

Small categories of specific information that contain fewer than 5 people, or

Specific categories of personal information, such as names, Social Security numbers, login and access details.

Practice Area Group / Employers

If you get an account on this site through your employer or practice group, we may disclose your personal registration information to your employer or practice group.

When Information Sharing Is Required

For some site features, such as filing documents with a court, information sharing is required. If you use those features, you will get a separate notice that explains the privacy terms for those features.

If you ask us to share your information, for example, you may ask us to send a form to the court.

For legal reasons– We may share your personal information if we have good reasons to believe we need to do so to:

Enforce our Terms of Service,

Protect our rights, operations, or users

Comply with applicable law, regulation or legal process, such as a court order or subpoena

Respond to a request from a government agency, such as law enforcement or an investigation of an illegal activity.

Prevent physical, financial or other harm, injury or loss

If our business structure changes – If we sell or transfer some or all of our business or assets, such as during a reorganization, dissolution or liquidation, we may transfer your personal information to a third party. But that third party
must
agree to protect your personal information according to the terms of this Notice.

You May Change Your Information

You may change your personal information on the profile page for your account(s) at the site.

How We Protect Personal Information

We have administrative, software, and physical safeguards to protect the personal information you provide at our site against accidental, unauthorized, or illegal access, disclosure, destruction, loss, change, and other illegal use.

To protect Social Security numbers, we limit who may access SSNs, and only allow disclosure for legally allowed purposes.

Links to Other Website

Our site lists links to other website s that are not part of our organization. We list those links to make it easier for you to get information at their site s. We do not have control over the content or privacy policies at those sites. It’s a good idea to look at the Privacy Notices of those websites before you use them.

Privacy Policy Updates

If there are privacy practices changes, we will post a notice on www.lawhelpinteractive.org. The date of the change will appear at the top of the Privacy Notice.

Questions?

Please send any questions or comments about this Privacy Notice. You may also contact us about your preferences or personal information you provided at our site. Just let us know you provided that information.

Terms for Self-Helpers

Supplemental Terms of Use for Self-Help Users

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS OF USE CAREFULLY AND SELECT THE "ACCEPT" BUTTON TO INDICATE YOUR AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS OF USE.

This web site, including all of its features and content (the "Web Site"), is a service made available by Pro Bono Net, Inc. (the "Provider" or "we"). The following terms ("Supplemental Terms of Use") govern your use of the content, information, services, and software provided on or through the Web Site ("Content"), in addition to the general Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.

1. Permitted Use: This Web Site is intended for use by: low-income individuals; lawyers and their staff providing not-for-profit or reduced fee legal assistance to low-income individuals; self-represented litigants accessing this Web Site through court web sites approved by the Provider; court personnel assisting other permitted users; and nonprofit and charitable organizations and their legal and other representatives acting on their behalf on a not-for-profit basis. Use of the Web Site for the benefit of another if you are not licensed to practice law may subject you to civil and criminal penalties for the unauthorized practice of law. By proceeding as a self-help user, you declare yourself to be a low-income individual who cannot afford to pay for legal assistance, a self-represented litigant accessing this Web Site through a court web site approved by the Provider, or a staff member or other representative of a nonprofit or charitable organization acting on its behalf. You agree that you will only use the Web Site for its intended use. (Note: California, Montana and New York state court web sites have been approved by the Provider.)

2. Not Legal Advice: The Web Site may provide information concerning potential legal issues, but it is not a substitute for legal advice from qualified counsel. The Content is not intended to and does not constitute legal advice. Your use of this site does not create any attorney-client relationship or any other fiduciary relationship between you and the Providers. The accuracy of the Content is neither warranted nor guaranteed and you use the Web Site at your own risk. You agree that no user of the Web Site providing answers or substantive materials has any duty to update such material or to use care to protect your interests, and that you accept any and all responsibility for your use of the Web Site. You also agree that you shall not be entitled to claim detrimental reliance in connection with your use of the Web Site. Documents created using the Web Site may require consultation with an attorney prior to execution or filing.

3. Preserving Client Confidentiality and the Attorney-Client Privilege: The Provider has taken reasonable steps to secure and maintain the confidentiality of information provided to the Web Site. You are cautioned that your adversaries may be able to use the legal process to obtain access to the information you provide to the Web Site.

4. Modifications to Terms of Use: The Provider reserves the right to change these Supplemental Terms of Use at any time. Updated versions of the Supplemental Terms of Use will appear on the Web Site and are effective immediately. Your continued use of the Web Site after any update constitutes your agreement to be bound by the updated Supplemental Terms of Use. You are responsible for regularly reviewing the Supplemental Terms of Use.

Last revised: February 22, 2010

Terms for Advocates and Court Personnel

Supplemental Terms of Use for Advocates and Court Personnel

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS OF USE CAREFULLY AND SELECT THE "ACCEPT" BUTTON TO INDICATE YOUR AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS OF USE.

This web site, including all of its features and content (the "Web Site"), is a service made available by Pro Bono Net, Inc. (the "Provider" or "we"). The following terms ("Supplemental Terms of Use") govern your use of the content, information, services, and software provided on or through the Web Site ("Content"), in addition to the Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.

1. Permitted Use: This Web Site is intended for use by: low-income individuals; lawyers and their staff providing not-for-profit or reduced fee legal assistance to low-income individuals; self-represented litigants accessing this Web Site through court web sites approved by the Provider; court personnel assisting other permitted users; and nonprofit and charitable organizations and their legal and other representatives acting on their behalf on a not-for-profit basis. Lawyers and their staff providing not-for-profit or reduced fee legal assistance to low-income individuals and legal representatives acting on behalf of nonprofit and charitable organizations on a not-for-profit basis are collectively referred to as “Advocates”. Any use of the Web Site as part of a for-profit service is strictly prohibited. By proceeding as an Advocate, you declare yourself to be utilizing the Web Site to obtain legal information to provide not-for-profit or reduced fee legal assistance to low-income individuals or to provide not-for-profit legal assistance to nonprofit or charitable organizations, and that you will only use the Web Site for its intended use. By proceeding as Court Personnel, you declare that you are an employee of a court who is assisting other permitted users in the use of the Web Site and that you are not providing legal assistance to or advocating on behalf of such individuals or litigants. (Note: California, Montana and New York state court web sites have been approved by the Provider.)

2. Not Legal Advice: The Web Site may provide information concerning potential legal issues, but it is not a substitute for legal advice from qualified counsel. The Content is not intended to and does not constitute legal advice. Use of this site by an Advocate does not create any attorney-client relationship or any other fiduciary relationship between the Advocate, its client(s), and the Providers. The accuracy of the Content is neither warranted nor guaranteed and you use the Web Site at your own risk. You agree that you have and will not detrimentally rely on any information received in connection with your use of the Web Site, and that no user of the Web Site providing answers or substantive materials has any duty to update such material or to use care to protect your interests, or those of an Advocate’s client(s). Documents created using the Web Site may require consultation with an attorney prior to execution or filing.

3. Responsibilities of Advocates: By using the Web Site as an Advocate, you warrant that: (i) you are solely responsible for protecting your interests and/or those of your client(s); (ii) you will apply the information obtained from the Web Site to the particular facts and circumstances of your case using your independent professional judgment; (iii) you will take whatever steps are necessary to verify all information obtained from the Web Site, and (iv) you will personally assure that the advice you provide is based on accurate and complete information and research from any available sources.

4. Attorney Ethics Notice for Advocates: The practice of law is governed by rules and ethics that may apply to your actions as an Advocate in connection with the Web Site. These rules may include, but are not limited to, rules regarding conflicts of interest, advertising, solicitation of clients, unauthorized practice of law, and misrepresentations of fact. Use of the Web Site for the benefit of another if you are not licensed to practice law may subject you to civil and criminal penalties for the unauthorized practice of law. The Provider disclaims all responsibility for your compliance with these rules. You are reminded that you should never make available on the Web Site communications subject to claims of privilege or client confidence in a way that would waive those claims.

5. Obligations of Advocates to Preserve Client Confidentiality and the Attorney-Client Privilege: The Provider has taken reasonable steps to secure and maintain the confidentiality of information provided to the Web Site. However, you are cautioned that the Provider cannot guarantee that your adversaries will not have access to the information that you and/or your client(s) provide to the Web Site and, therefore, care should be taken such that confidential information relating to a client or case, including a client's name, remains confidential. You should consult your local ethics rules regarding the communication of attorney-client privileged information via email and over the Internet to determine whether you may use this Web Site in connection with your practice.

6. Modifications to Terms of Use: The Provider reserves the right to change these Supplemental Terms of Use at any time. Updated versions of the Supplemental Terms of Use will appear on the Web Site and are effective immediately. Your continued use of the Web Site after any update constitutes your agreement to be bound by the updated Supplemental Terms of Use. You are responsible for regularly reviewing the Supplemental Terms of Use.

Last revised: February 22, 2010

Terms for Template Providers

Supplemental Terms of Use for Template Provider Users

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS OF USE CAREFULLY AND SELECT THE "ACCEPT" BUTTON TO INDICATE YOUR AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS OF USE.

This web site, including all of its features and content (the "Web Site"), is a service made available by Pro Bono Net, Inc. (the "Provider" or "we"). The following terms ("Supplemental Terms of Use") govern your ("Contributor") use of and contribution to the content, information, services, and software provided on or through the Web Site ("Content"), in addition to the Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.

1. License of Contributor's Content to Provider: By submitting any materials for use on the Web Site, you grant (or warrant that the owner of such rights has expressly granted) to the Provider for all non-profit purposes a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable, non-exclusive right and license, with right to sub-license (including, but not limited to the right to sub-license to other contributors), to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, publicly perform, publicly display, digitally display and digitally perform, translate, create derivative works from and distribute such materials or incorporate such materials into any form, medium, or technology now known or later developed throughout the universe. Subject to the Terms of Use, these Supplemental Terms of Use, and by your submission, you also authorize other users of the Web Site to make personal and customary use of the material, including creating links to or re-posting its content on the Web Site, but not otherwise to reproduce or disseminate it unless you give permission for such dissemination. You agree that you shall have no recourse against the Provider for any alleged or actual infringement or misappropriation of any proprietary right in your submitted materials. You agree that the Provider is free to use any ideas, concepts, know-how, or techniques contained in any submission you submit to the Web Site for any purpose. You will retain whatever other rights you have in your submission. The Provider will identify you as the source of any material submitted by you, and act as your agent in the course of making your submitted materials available to users of the Web Site. The Provider will delete any of your submitted materials at your request. The Provider reserves the right to delete, edit, or refuse to post any materials you submit without your permission and for any reason.

2. Obligations Concerning Submitted Materials: By submitting material to the Web Site, you warrant that you have employed reasonable means to ensure that your submission does not contain a computer virus and that your submission is not defamatory, is not illegal, does not infringe the intellectual property rights of another, and will not otherwise be detrimental to the operation of the Web Site. By submitting material or templates to the Web Site, you warrant that such material or templates do not violate any law, statute, ordinance or regulation applicable to you, including any rules relating to the unauthorized practice of law. By submitting material to the Web Site, you also represent that you have employed reasonable means to review, proofread, and test any submissions to ensure there are no technical issues with the submission. By submitting material to the Web Site, you also agree to modify or remove the template if you discover it is inaccurate, out-of-date, or contains other technical problems; that you will employ reasonable efforts initially and on an ongoing basis to identify such problems; and that you will inform the Provider of any problems that you identify. By submitting material to the Web Site, you also agree that you will respond to questions or complaints concerning your submitted materials or that you will designate someone to respond in your stead. By submitting material to the Web Site, you agree to provide instructions concerning the appropriate use of your submitted materials and whether an attorney should be consulted in connection with the use of your submitted materials, and that you will include hypertext links to further information when appropriate. The products integrated with the Website may be upgraded or modified base on the scheduling on the Standard 3rd Party Product Upgrade Policy page.

3. Use of Submitted Materials by Site Users: Your submitted materials will be used as templates by users of the Web Site to generate their own documents. The Web Site will not permit these users to modify your original templates without your permission. The Web Site will require that the users of the Web Site agree to be bound by the Terms of Use and Supplemental Terms of Use depending on their role ( Advocates and Court Personnel and Self-Helpers). At its sole discretion, the Provider may provide you with statistical information of its choice concerning the use of your submitted materials.

4. Use of Submitted Materials by other Contributors: You may not use materials submitted by other Contributors for uses other than the Permitted Use as defined in the Common Terms of Use. Incident to the Permitted Use, you may use materials submitted by other Contributors to generate derivative templates for use in accord with the Permitted Use. Your submitted materials may be used by other contributors to this or another Web Site to generate derivative templates for use in accord with the Permitted Use.

5. No Solicitation: By using the Web Site, you agree that you will not, without the Provider's express written approval, distribute or publish any material containing any solicitation of funds, promotion, advertising, or solicitation for goods or services via the Web Site. You specifically agree that soliciting other members of the Web Site to join or become members of any commercial on-line service or other organization is expressly prohibited and violates these Supplemental Terms of Use.

6. Technical Support: Notwithstanding any other provision in the Terms of Use, you will be provided with reasonable technical support in connection with your provision of content to the Web Site.

7. Modifications to Terms of Use: The Provider reserves the right to change these Supplemental Terms of Use at any time. Updated versions of the Supplemental Terms of Use will appear on the Web Site and are effective immediately. Your continued use of the Web Site after any update constitutes your agreement to be bound by the updated Supplemental Terms of Use. You are responsible for regularly reviewing the Supplemental Terms of Use.

Standard 3rd Party Product Upgrade Policy

The purpose of the 3rd Party Product Upgrade Policy is to set the standard process for updates made to products integrated into LHI, at the moment this includes HotDocs and A2J but may include additional products in the future. This policy is in place so that the effected organizations can plan accordingly in a rational and predictable manner.

This policy also aims to assist organizations that rely on LawHelp Interactive to serve online interviews and assemble documents in their planning and management of templates. Software upgrades require serious forethought, careful monitoring, and follow-up evaluation to reduce negative impact to the user community and to increase the value of the information technology infrastructure. The following policy does not apply to Server, CMS, Webservice, or OS updates and therefore are not bound by the same procedures or schedules outlined in this document.

Versioning Policy Statement:

The number versioning scheme referenced by this policy is:
(Major).(Minor).(Patch)
Example: “07.11.01”

Release Schedule:

Pro Bono Net will keep the community at large up-to-date with the expected release date of 3rd Party Products. As updates to any of the integrated products are released we will notify the template Developers and Administrative user of LHI as necessary in advance to allow time for planning, testing and deployment at the local level. The primary communication method will be through the support list-serve, which you may join by going to http://www.probono.net/dasupport/ and then clicking on “Join this Area” link.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

The following is an outlined schedule, based on Release Type. The schedule is subject to change pending priority changes and/or emerging situations which may require immediate action or an advancing of the schedule. For specific release details of 3rd party products (e.g. HotDocs and A2J Author) please visit their websites or contact them directly.

Major Release:

The categorization of “Major” is made by the or at the discretion of the 3rd party vendor. A typical Major release indicates Major new functionality or product structure changes. Based on the versioning scheme outlined above, the Major Fields are incremented whenever a major functionality improvement or architectural changes are released. Upon general availability of the Major release the following schedule will be followed which may take up to 8 months:

Technical Review by LHI Team: up to 3 Months

Internal Testing and Integration by LHI Team: up to 3 Months

Template Developer Testing: up to 2 Months

Minor Release:

The categorization of “Minor” is made by the or at the discretion of the 3rd party vendor. A typical Minor release is released regularly to provide fixes for bugs identified in current releases, and may include some minor enhancements. Upon general availability of the Minor release the following schedule will be followed which may take up to 3 ½ months,:

Technical Review by LHI Team: up to 1 Month

Internal Testing and Integration by LHI Team: up to 1 Month

Template Developer Testing: up to 1 1/2 Months**

Maintenance “Patch” Release:

The categorization of “Maintenance” is made by the or at the discretion of the 3rd party vendor. Typical Maintenance also referenced as “Dot”, build or patch releases are bug fixes available to their customers. Upon general availability of the Maintenance release the following schedule will be followed which may take up to 3 months:

Technical Review by LHI Team: up to 1 Month

Internal Testing and Integration by : up to 1 Month

Template Developer testing: up to 1 month**

**Depending upon the scope of the update a public Template Developer testing period may not be required. As a general rule testing is required to ensure the success of the template when the software update affects the way templates behave under the new release. Local partners will need to test their templates under the new circumstances if they want to ensure that after the upgrade goes into production, their templates will function as expected.

Emergency releases

From time to time Pro Bono Net may need to do an emergency upgrade to ensure the viability and security of the site. Under such circumstance, notice may not be possible before hand and testing may be precluded prior to the upgrade. Pro Bono Net will notify the community after the fact in such circumstances and work with states one on one when the fix affects the functioning of live templates.

The timeline for any “patch” release is subject to change, depending on the technical review and the evaluation of the impact to the release

When required, if appropriate we will provide guidance for specific release but please reference to “The Testing Procedures and Best Practices” document for general testing guidelines.

FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

This Website allows low-income people without access to a lawyer to prepare their own legal forms online for free. It’s also used by pro bono and legal aid attorneys seeking to work more efficiently.

When using this Website, you will be asked questions and your answers are used to fill out a form.

Who is this service for?

This site is for low-income people; the staff of nonprofit and charitable organizations; lawyers and their staff providing not-for-profit or reduced fee legal assistance to low-income people or nonprofit and charitable organizations. It can also be used by pe This site is for low-income people who can't pay for legal assistance and their non-profit advocates. It can also be used by people without lawyers who are accessing this Web Site through an approved court web sites and court personnel assisting other permitted users. (Note: the California, New York and Minnesota state court web sites have been approved by the Provider.)

Commercial use is strictly forbidden.

Does it cost anything to use this site?

No.

Where are the forms?

LawHelpInteractive.org will direct you to your state’s legal aid website to access forms. Click on Find Forms for a list of states that currently have forms. You can also find a state-by-state list of legal aid websites on LawHelp.org. Follow the directions on your state website to access available forms. Please note, available LHI forms vary depending on the type of legal issue and your state. If you don’t find the particular form you’re looking for, you can visit www.lawhelp.org for other help and resources in that area of law.

Download or email your document to print and read the instructions on your next steps. Please note, in most cases the forms are not automatically filed with the court when using LHI.

Do you give legal advice?

No. This Web site provides legal information, not advice. No lawyer/client relationship is formed. No person is reviewing how you answer questions or if the documents are right for you. If you have questions or want to know if a document is right for you, talk to a lawyer.

The forms are developed by local legal aid organizations, pro bono programs, and courts.

Is the system secure?

Security measures are being taken with the server. Your communications with the system and your answer files stored on the system are encrypted. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. Please keep in mind that this service is on the public Web – absolute security is not guaranteed. Additionally, the site may occasionally be taken down for maintenance, preventing access to forms. Please keep paper or electronic copies of your information. Do not use LHI to save your forms.

What else do I need to know?

Forms can change and be removed without notice.

Read the Terms of Use . Be sure that you understand them. They are subject to change without notice.

Can you please summarize the legal terms in plain English?

This is an overview of the terms governing your use of this web site. We remind you that you use this web site under the conditions specified in our Terms of Use; and our Privacy Policy. This guide is not a substitute for those documents, and you should read and understand both before using this Web site.

This Web Site is intended for use by low-income individuals and their not-for-profit advocates to obtain legal information.

Do not use this Web site to help someone else with their legal problems. In many places this is illegal if you're not a lawyer.

Do not use this Web site to break the law. We take measures to keep your information confidential, but we can be compelled in some circumstances to provide your information to law enforcement.

This Web Site is not a substitute for a lawyer.

This website cannot provide you with legal advice. Your choice of forms and answers are not being reviewed, and may be incorrect for your situation. Information provided on this site may not always be accurate or complete. If you have a legal problem, you should try to find a lawyer who will represent you. There is no substitute for a lawyer who can talk to you in person regarding your situation.

You use this Web Site at your own risk.

The law is constantly changing. We can't guarantee that the information on this Website is correct or up-to-date. As we update the Website, it's possible that the forms you're using may be taken away. Please plan ahead and keep paper and electronic copies of your information handy.

We try to keep your information confidential, but we can't guarantee that it will stay secret. For example, a court can make us share your information in certain circumstances. You can help keep your information confidential by keeping your password to yourself and not sharing it with other people.

Computers occasionally stop working. It's possible that this Website will stop working, so please plan ahead and keep paper and electronic copies of your information in case something happens. We don't presently have the resources to provide you with technical support as you use the Website.

Under no circumstances are we responsible or liable for what you do with the information from this web site.

How do I use this site?

Do I need to register?

You do not need to register to use the system as a self-helper or an advocate. You will still be able to fill out forms and print them. Registering allows you to save your answers and use them again later. (Template providers and organizational administrators must register and require pre-approval.)

No. If you create an account with LHI, we only save your answers, not your documents. Saving your answers will allow you to re-generate your documents.

Can I change the information in my documents?

If the documents are word processor documents (not PDF), you can edit them in any word processor such as Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect. You can also use WordPad that is installed with most versions of Windows. PDF documents cannot be edited. If you are a registered user, you can also re-run the template interview, change your answers, and re-generate your documents.

I see some blank lines in my document. What do they mean?

It probably means that you have not answered all questions in the interview. If you are an anonymous user, and still in the same session that you created the document in, click ‘Go Back to Answers’ to verify whether you have answered all the questions. If you are a registered user, re-run the template, loading your saved answers and check to make sure you answered all questions.

Can I delete my answer files?

Yes. You should delete your files once they are no longer needed. Login to the system and click on "Manage Answer Files". Then click on the Delete link next to the answer file you would like to delete.

How long are my answer files kept?

The length of time answer files are kept depends on the type of account you have. Answer files for anonymous users are not saved beyond when the user logs out or after 2 hours of inactivity also known as session expiration. Answer files for registered self-helpers are saved for six months since last use. Finally, answer files for registered advocates and court personnel are saved for 12 months since last use. If you are a registered user, you will receive a message sent to the email account you provided at registration before your answer files are deleted.

Who else can see my answers?

No other users can see your answers unless they have your user ID and password or you choose to share your answers with another person or email them the document from LHI. In rare circumstances, a court of law may compel us to share your information with a law enforcement agency or others. See Privacy Policy. If you are using a NY or Minnesota Court DV form and you e-file through LHI the Courts and its staff will see your answers.

Can I send you legal questions?

No. We can't respond to questions about your particular case or the appropriateness of any specific form to your circumstances.

I am not sure if my forms are appropriate. Is there someone I can call?

You should contact a lawyer in your state. You can consult www.lawhelp.org and select your state. You will be able to search for free legal resources and help in your area.

What can I do on my end to protect my information?

Choose a password that others, including potential adversaries such as spouses or former spouses, are unlikely to guess. Use both letters and numbers. Especially when accessing our site from a computer in a public location like a library or court, be sure to log out when done, close all browser windows, don't save files on the local hard drive, and don't leave printed documents behind. Be aware that evidence of your computer use can remain behind in history and cache files.

What if I have a problem with this site?

If you experience a problem with this site, please email lhi@probono.net and provide us with as many details as possible.

We’ve received reports of Internet Explorer (IE) Version 8 users getting a “problem getting data” error when trying to start an interview. If you see this error, please try to use another browser or update your version of Internet Explorer. Otherwise, please try the following setting changes and this should resolve the problem:

Go to Tools

select Internet options

select Advanced

Under Security, check the check box "Do not save encrypted pages to disk"; or

If the box is already checked, please un-check it.

What kind of computer and software do I need?

It is best to use our forms with a computer or laptop with Windows on it. We currently do not support tablet or smartphone use. Your laptop or computer should be running the following browsers and browser versions:

Chrome version 27 and later

Firefox version 21 and later

IE 8 and later

Safari version 7 and later (Please note, to use Safari for LHI interviews you need to change a setting in your preferences by taking the following steps: Open Safari> Choose “Preferences”, then select “Advanced”; next deselect Stop plug-ins to save power)

Your browser must accept cookies and not block pop ups.

In order to edit and print assembled word processor documents, you need to have Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect, or some other program that can handle RTF or docx files. If you do not have Microsoft Word, you can download Microsoft Viewer for free to view, print, and copy Word documents created on LHI.

In order to view and print assembled PDF forms, you need to have a current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available as a free download from Adobe.

What local settings might I need or want to change?

You should make sure you’re not blocking any pop ups and your cookies are enabled. You also want to make sure you can open your rtf and docx files in Microsoft Word and your PDF forms in Adobe Reader. Different browsers and operating systems have different steps to identify how downloaded files will open. Please also note that using Notepad for RTF files leads to mis-formatted and unreadable documents.

Click on the “Forgot your password?” link on the login page. Enter your username and your password will be sent to the email address you registered with. If you don’t know your username, email lhi@probono.net from the email address you used to create your account to request your username.

Can I report an error message?

Yes. Use the contact form. Be very specific and say what the error and error message were. Please provide as many of the following details as you can:

the name and URL of the interview you were using

the steps you took before you got the error message

a screenshot of the error message, if possible

the browser and browser version you were using

Where can I find legal help?

Try Lawhelp.org. It contains listings of pro bono and legal services programs listed by geographic area along with relevant self-help information. You can also try www.findlegalhelp.org.

Review Document(s)

Please review all documents before proceeding with e-filing of your documents